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Extreme Italian Experience: The Flight of Angels

Today our Studentessa Matta wants to share a fabulous experience she had some time ago when she was traveling in Italy.

Have you ever flown like a bird through the sky, enjoying the view from on high? I have! It happened while I was visiting a friend in the Basilicata. Between the two towns of Castelmezzano and Pietrapertosa, the Italians in the provence of Potenza have constructed two zip lines that stretch between two Lucanian Mountain Peaks in the Dolomites. People come from all over Italy to fly over the mountains like birds…or angels.

In fact the zip line is called “The Flight of the Angel”. Soaring through the air on this zip line you experience sensations never before felt…terror, thrill and euphoria! The view is amazing and breathtaking!

I had never zipped lined before arriving in the Basilicata. In my area in California you can often see people in delta planes floating over the peaks of Mission Peak in my own back yard. But, I had never felt the urge to join them. In fact the idea never even crossed my mind!

It took a trip to Italy and the Basilicata to change all that. When my friend first suggested that I take the flight of the Angel, I thought she was joking. But the more we discussed the idea, the more I liked it. The Basilicata is such a rugged majestic area. After living in the area a few days, I became curious about the possibility of flying over the mountains and so I decided to take the Flight of the Angel.

I hadn’t brought the right shoes, so the first thing I needed to do however, was buy a pair of that I could tie firmly, so as not to loose them during my flight! Then my friends and I drove to Castelmezzano, where I purchased a round trip ticket to zip between Castelmezzano to PIetrapertosa and back again.

We walked up the mountain, above Castelmezzano to the the zip line station. There I was warmly greeted by a group of friendly “Angel custodians” who measured me, fitted me with a helmet and strapped me into a harness that is connected to a steel cable. Listen up! You must accurately disclose your correct weight so the attendants can calculate the velocity of your flight correctly. If you don’t you might end up slowing to a halt at mid-point, dangling over the valley floor. But don’t despair! At that point, men called “squirrels” descend the wire hand, over fist to reach your harness and pull you back to the other side to safety!

Once I was securely strapped into my harness, I took a deep breath and saying O Mio Dio! I let out a scream as the men gave me a strong push and sent me soaring across the gorge between the two mountains. The sensation of flying was beyond exhilarating. I slipped off the edge of the mountain and into the air, enjoying a view the humans rarely a privileged to see from such heights.

It took only a few minutes to cross the great divide and I was brought abruptly to a halt on the other side. I think the was the scariest part of the entire journey! After arriving in Pietrapertosa, I climbed up another hill to reach the second zip line station from which I flew back across the valley to Castelmezzano, where my friends were waiting for me! They heartily congratulated me and treated me to a delicious lunch!

So, the next time you are in the Basilicata you should try for yourselves the Flight of Angel. It is an exhilarating experience you won’t ever forget.